1. Field of the Invention
This specification relates to a refrigerator, and particularly, to a refrigerator capable of facilitating goods and/or food stuffs to be stored in or drawn out of a cooling chamber.
2. Background of the Invention
As well known, a refrigerator is a machine for keeping goods or food stuffs in a refrigerated or frozen state.
The refrigerator includes a refrigerator main body having a cooling chamber, a cooling chamber door installed at the refrigerator main body to open and close the cooling chamber, and a refrigeration cycle system (apparatus) capable of supplying cold air to the cooling chamber.
FIG. 1 is a view showing an example of the related art refrigerator, and FIG. 2 is a view showing a tray disposed in a cooling chamber of FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator includes a refrigerator main body 10 having a cooling chamber 20, and a cooling chamber door 30 for opening and closing the cooling chamber 20.
The cooling chamber 20 includes a freezing chamber 21 and a refrigerating chamber 22, for example.
The cooling chamber door 30 includes a freezing chamber door 31 for opening and closing the freezing chamber 21, and a refrigerating chamber door 32 for opening and closing the refrigerating chamber 22.
The refrigerator main body 10 includes a refrigeration cycle system for supplying cold air to the cooling chamber 20.
The refrigeration cycle system may be implemented as a so-called vapor compression type refrigeration cycle system having a compressor for compressing a refrigerant, a condenser for condensing the refrigerant, an expansion apparatus for decompressing and expanding the refrigerant, and an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant with latent heat absorbed therein.
In the meantime, shelves for partitioning an inner space into upper and lower spaces may be disposed in the cooling chamber 20.
The shelves 35 may be disposed with preset heights and intervals within the freezing chamber 21 and the refrigerating chamber 22.
The cooling chamber 20 may include trays 40 for storing foods.
The tray 40 may be formed in a shape of a box having an upper opening.
The tray 40, for example, referring to FIG. 4, may be disposed at a lower portion of each shelf 35. Accordingly, when the tray 40 is retracted (pushed in), the upper opening of the tray 40 may be shielded.
Tray supporting units 45 for allowing the tray 40 to be slidable back and forth are disposed at both sides of the tray 40.
Each tray supporting unit 45 includes a roller 47 for supporting the tray 40.
The tray 40 includes rails 42 each contacting an upper surface of the corresponding roller 47 to be slidable back and forth.
A support roller (not shown) rollable on an upper surface of the rail 42 may be provided on each rail 42.
By the way, a lower area of the refrigerating chamber 22 is shown having drawers 50 for storing vegetables, fruits and the like. A drawer 51a, which is disposed at the lowermost of the refrigerating chamber 22, of the drawers 50, may protrude toward the front of the refrigerating chamber 22, increasing a storage space of the drawer 51a. 
A cover 60 for obscuring an upper opening of the lower drawer 51a is disposed on the lower drawer 51a. 
The cover 60 may be upwardly rotatable based on a rotational shaft 61 upon drawing (pulling) the lower drawer 51a out.
However, in the related art refrigerator having the configuration, in order to support the tray 40 upon pulling the tray 40 out, the tray 40 may not be fully pulled out of the tray supporting units 45. This may make it difficult to put foods in and/or take such foods out of a rear area within the tray 40. Especially, when foods relatively small in size are stacked in the tray 40 for storage, it may be relatively difficult for a user (for example, user's hand) to reach the rear area of the tray 40, causing difficulty in storing and/or picking up foods.
Also, the shelves 35 are installed in the longitudinal direction with the preset heights and intervals. Hence, when a food stuff longer than the interval between the shelves 35 has to be stored, foods already placed on the upper shelf 35 are first taken away, the upper shelf 35 is detached and then the long food is put on the lower shelf 35. This causes burden of storage.
Furthermore, since the cover 60 is rotated up when the lower drawer 51a is pulled out, pulling the upper drawer 51b is interrupted. Especially, when the upper drawer 51b is pulled out in a state that the cover 60 has been rotated up, the cover 60 and the upper drawer 51b may be subject to damage.